May 19, 2013

Dear JK Families,

Thank you again for making Teacher Appreciation Week so special! Mrs. Burgess and I are truly touched by your thoughtful and generous gifts.

Last week, we talked about the Ascension of Jesus into Heaven and about Pentecost and the Holy Spirit. Have you been hearing the song "Heaven is a Wonderful Place"? If not, ask your child to sing it for you. It has a catchy tune and we all loved dancing to it as we sang. The children also painted pictures of their own versions of heaven. When you see the painting, be sure to ask your child to describe the details he or she included. We also watched an animated DVD that portrayed the Ascension of Jesus into Heaven, and the Holy Spirit and the Apostles on Pentecost.

The children liked learning what it means to "ascend."  As a way to wrap up the week, we blew bubbles on the playground and watched them ascend into the heavens! We also popped bubbles, chased bubbles and had a lot of fun!

It’s very rewarding to see how well your children are learning the letters and letter sounds! They are writing many letters and words now to describe their drawings. I tell them that they are writers and readers when they come to the front of the room during Circle Time and read to us what they have written. At the end of the year, you will receive a packet of all of their writing center drawings.

We have also been practicing writing letters in shaving cream, on Magna Doodle boards and on handwriting sheets. We often play I’m Thinking of a Word or ABC Bingo. Everyday we find lots of letters and sight words on the News of the Day charts and on the song sheets they include in their I Can Read Anthology notebooks. The children very proudly show me when they discover letters or words on their own during the day. Thank you for reinforcing the letters at home and for encouraging them to bring in homework each week. They are always so happy to share it!

On Monday, we will begin our Ocean Unit! Our Letter of the Week will be "o," both the long and the short sounds, for ocean and octopus. I know that the children will love studying about ocean animals.

There are still two meetings left to discuss the changes happening to the church and to the school.  If you would like to give your input to this process, please attend a meeting on Monday, May 20 at 7 p.m. or Wednesday, May 22 at 7 p.m. (please note change of date ). Both meetings will be held in Hinde Hall.

Here are some other dates to note on your calendar:

• Wednesday, May 22: Library Day

• Thursday, May 23: Retirement Party for Mrs. Nancy Roberts

• Monday, May 27: Memorial Day:  no school

• Thursday, May 29: Appreciation Tea

• Wednesday, June 5: Library Day

• Monday, June 10: Professional Day: no school

• Thursday, June 13: Playday and last day of school for JK (2 p.m. dismissal)

Many blessings,

Mrs. Mary LeDuc